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Courageous Conversations

Although there have been some gains in achievement and graduation rates in recent years, the conditions affecting African Americans in schools and society remain highly complex and astonishingly problematic. Examples of the more salient conditions that are all too familiar and all too lamentable include high rates of school violence and suspensions, gender and masculine identity issues, HIV/AIDS and other health crises, the over-representation in special education, high incidents of crime and incarceration, and poor access to higher education. These areas of concern adversely affect the quality of life for African Americans in urban and near urban enclaves of the State of Michigan. There is a need for critical dialogue among key stakeholders from across Michigan with an eye toward impacting policy and practice.